Alphabetical toy



June9, 1925. 1,541,004

G. TAYLOR ALPHABETI CAL TOY Filed March Q, 1923 il /a Patented June 9,1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GRACEBEL TAYLOR, F PUENTE, CALIFORNIA.

ALPHABETICAL TOY.

Application led March 9, 1923. Serial No. 623,999.

To 'all whom 'it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GRAonBnL TAYLOR, a' citizen of the United States,and a resident of Puente, county of Los Angeles, State of California,have invented new and useful Improvements in Alphabetical Toys, of whichthe following is a full, clear, and accurate disclosure.

In the present invention I have devised a toy particularly adapted foryoung children, with a two-fold object of providing instruction andentertainment.

It is a. device composed of a plurality of sections, in the form ofstraight flat bars, pivotally joined together and so arranged that byproper manipulation may be made to form the letters of the alphabet andnumerals from one to nine.

Its use is particularly efficacious in kindergarten work wherein theentertaining feature of individual manipulation of the bars to formletters and numerals is a great aid to instruction. Also, formation ofthe letters by the individual child in this manner is conducive to morerapid learning, by compelling concentration, and affords an opportunityto visualize the mannerA of forming each letter and numeral.

My invention' is further characterized by its extreme simplicity,durability, and cheapness of manufacture; as well as its constructionand arrangement permitting it to be collapsed into very compact form.

rihe details of construction and use'ofm toy will be more fully setforth in the following specification, reference being made therein tothe accompanying drawings, which form a part thereof, and in whichdrawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the toy in opened or extended arrangement.

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof showing it collapsed;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the toy in collapsible arrangement;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 only showlng the individual membersslightly separated to illustrate the relative positions of the variousmembers when in collapsed arrangement;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary detail plan view showing the manner ofpivotally connecting the individual members;

Fi 6 is a sectional view taken as indicate the line 6-6 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 75illustrates the manner in which the letters of the alphabet areformed by the toy: and v Fig. 8 illustrates the manner in which numeralsfrom one to nine are formed by the toy.

Referring now to the drawings, and first to Fig. l, the toy is .composedof a. plurality of sections numbered from ten (10) to nineteen (19),`inclusive, of uniform width and thickness, lengths. The individualsections of which the toy iscomposed may be constructed of any suitablematerial; however, I prefer to use aluminum as this material combinessuicient strength and rigidity with lightu ness.

The device is composed of three long sections 10, 11, and 12; and sevenshort sectlons 13, 14,15, 16, 17, 18, and'19. The long sections 10, 11,and 12 may be of any desired length, preferably not over five or sixinches, while the sections 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, and 1 9, are eachone-half the length of the sections 10, 11, and 12. These lengths may bemeasured from the centers of their pivotal points or over all lengths.

.The-long sections 10 and 12 are pivotally joined together by theintermediate long section 11 by means of rivets passing through theiroverlapped ends, as illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6. The sections may bepivotally joined byv rivets, but preferably they will be joined by meansof eyelets exy tending Athrough coaxial counter-sunk holes in thecontiguous sections, and turned over 1jflush with the outer faces, asshown in 'Ihe h alf sections 13 and 14 are carried by the section 10;one end of the section 13 bebut of different' ing pivotally secured tothe section 10 at v its center, and one eno` of the section 14 Section13, as illustrated. Short sections 15 and 16 extend from the juncture ofthe long sections 11 and l2; one end of the short section 15 beingpivotally secured upon the rivet which joins the sectionsV 11 and 12;one end of section 16 being pivotally joinedv to the opposite end ofsection 15. Short sections 17, 18, and 19 are carried upon the distalend of the section 12; one end of the section17 being pivotally securedthereto, while the section 18 connects the opposite end of the section17 with one end of the section 19.

All of these sections are joined together,

plvotally secured to the opposite end of` be folded to overlie thesection 10 in superposed relation, as will also the sections 15, 16, 17,18, and 19 be folded to overlie the long section 12 in superposedrelation..

In Figure 7 I have diagrammatically il-- lustrated the manner in whichthe letters of the alphabet are formed by manipulating the severalsections of the toy, while in Fig. 8 I have illustrated the manner inwhich the numerals from one to nine, inclusive, are' likewise formed. Inthus diagrammatically illustrating the manner of formation of theseletters and numerals it is to be understood thatjust those sectionswhich principally form the letter or numeral, as the case may be, havebeen designated by reference numerals, and that thelother sections ofthe toy not used informing the letter are folded into proper superposedrelation to extend in alinement and parallel with the letter formingsections. No attempt has been made to designate how or in what mannerthese folded or unused sections are concealed, as this is thought to beobvious from a reference to the several gures of the drawing. It is tobe observed that in forming these letters and numerals that the toy maybe turned upside down or side to side, but the reference charactersclearly indicate when this is done.

The reference characters clearly indicate how the various letters andnumerals are formed by manipulating the several sections of the device;for instance, the letter A is formed by the long sections 10 and 12, andshort section 13; while lvthe letter 'B is formed by proper manipulationof the long sections 12, forming the back, short sections 15 and 16forming the lower loop of the letter and short sections 17 18, and 19forming the upper portion of the letter. In the case of the letter Along section 12 is folded parallel with the long section 11 and shortsections 15, 16, and 17 18', and

19 are folded upon the section 12 to likewise extend parallel with thesection 11; and short section 14 is folded to extend -parallel with theshort section 13. In the case of the letter B long sections 10 and 11are folded to overlie and extend parallel with the long section 12 andshort sections 13 and 14 are likewise folded to lie upon and extendalong the long section 10. This scheme of manipulation is carried out inthe case of formation of the letters and numerals in the mannerillustrated.

Thus I have produced a toy by means of which all of the letters of thealphabet, as well as numerals from one to nine, may be formed; and theformation of these letters not only provides entertainment but serves asa means of more indeliblyl fixing the individual letters and numerals'inthe childs mind.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A toy of the class described comprising a plurality of long and shortbars; the long bars being pivotally joined together end to end, and theshort bars being likewise pivotally joined together end to end, the saidshort bars being pivotally mounted in groups upon the long bars bypivotally joining one end of one of each group thereto; the whole beingarranged to be manipulated to form letters of the alphabet and numeralsfrom one to nine.

2. A toy of the class described comprising a plurality of long and shortbars, the long bars being substantially twice the length of the shortbars; the long bars being pivotally joined.` together end to end and theshort bars being likewise pivotally joined together in groups; one groupof two Short bars being pivot-ally mounted at the end of one upon one ofthe end long bars at its center; another group of two short bars beinglikewise pivotally mounted at the pivotal juncture of two of the longbars; and another group of three short bars bein likewise pivotallyjoined to the distal enrgl of the other end long bar; the whole beingarranged to be manipulated to form letters of the alphabet and numeralsfrom one to nine.

3. A toy of the class described comprising a plurality of long and shortbars pivotally joined together, the long bars being substantially twicethe len h of the short bars; three of said long ars being pivotallyjoined together end to end and the short bars being likewise joinedtogether in groups of two, two and three; one of said groups of twoshort bars being pivotally joined at the end of one to one of the endlong bars at its center; the other group of two short bars beinglikewise joined to the long bars at the pivotal juncture between theintermediate and other end bar; and the group of three short bars beinglikewise joined to the distal end of the last mentioned end long bar,substantially as described.

4. A toy of the class described comprising a plurality of pivotallyjoined long bars, and a plurality of groups of shortl bars, joinediirend to end pivotal relation, one of said groups being pivotallyjoined to one of the long bars and a plurality of groups being pivotallyjoined to another of said long bars; the whole being arranged to bemanipulated to formletters of the alphabet and the digits.

5. A toy of the class described comprising a plurality of pivotallyjoined long bars, a plurality of groups of pivotally joined short bars,there being one group of short bars for each long har; and meanspivotally connecting each of said groups to its companion long bar; thewhole being arranged to be manlpulated to form letters of the alphabetand the digits.

6. A toy of the class described embodying a plurality of pivotallyjoined long bars which are foldable upon one another, a plurality ofgroups of pivotally joined short bars, the bars in each oup beingfoldable upon one another, an

sald groups being pivotallyV mounted on said lon bars and foldablethereover without inter erence; the Whole lbeing arranged to bemanipulated to form letters of the alphabet and the l5 GRACEBEL TAYLOR.Witness: l

WM. L. CONNOR.

